Beyond Savior
by lewy9
Summary: What would happen after Max and the flock saved the world? In six year's time who will end up married, in love, at school, or even dead? And what would happen if there were still unknown enemies abroad...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Oh God. Not that feeling again. Like I was burning up, heat rushing all over my body, that sensation from back when I first heard the Voice inside my head. (What, you mean you don't have one? I think Target still carries them.) Usually, it would be spouting advice and ordering me around like it was my mother. Though it had proved life-saving in the past, it was still a bit irritating at times. But now, annoyingly, it was utterly silent. _What, cat got your tongue? Wait.. It's more like, cat got your mind? Or- you know what, never mind. _

Butterflies in my stomach, I turned to Nudge. "How does this look?" I asked nervously. I had never really been a girl for dresses. My usual attire is a worn-out t-shirt and holey jeans. She looked up and down, giving me a thorough inspection, tilting her head for a moment as if considering something.

When she was satisfied, she replied with a grin,"I think it looks beautiful, Max! You could be on the runway any day of the year in hole-y rags and _still_ bedazzle us all!"

The corners of my mouth twitched up in a small smile. "Is 'bedazzle' even a word?"

"Of course it is! And a real pretty one, too." I sighed. Same old Nudge. Twirling in my dress, I closed my eyes and thought. This was the biggest day of my life. And I felt comfortable... in a _dress_. Who thought of that idea, anyway? Why would anyone want to run around or work on, like, a farm or something and have to hike a giant mass of cloth up above their knees? And shove up the sleeves? But this dress, for some reason, felt right. Like I was safe, somehow, though I know that could never be. Not even now, six years after we saved the world. The flock, I mean.

Angel, Gazzy, Nudge, Iggy, Fang, and me. Little Angel was twelve now, a tall, gangly teenager, with her blond curls and calm tone that may make someone do things they might not have wanted to do- but she's been able to do that for years. She can control people- or animals- with her _mind_. And read their thoughts, too. That's just what we need, isn't it? A beautiful pre-teen that could rule the world as we know it by simply asking the president to send out a death ray. And yet, she still fulfilled her childhood dream- not the one of not living in a dog crate- but to grow up to be like me. And at that age, I was exactly the same. Minus the mind-reading/controlling part. Whenever I see her, I want to cry and hold her close, to tell her that I'm proud of her. Yeah, I guess you could say I actually express feelings now. But I've been doing a lot of that lately...

Gazzy, of course, still lives up to his name. But one girl seems to be able to put up with that. The Gasman's fourteen. That's how old Iggy, Fang and I were when we all saved the world. But now that_ he's _that age, I don't think he'll be fighting off Erasers or battling hurricanes. Instead, he, Angel, and Nudge all go to this Lerner school the bigwig government people set up for us a while back. No one wanted to go at first. Wow, big shocker there! Like as mutant bird kids, we actually went to school back when we turned 5. We did do to _the_ School, though. But eventually, they got to like it, I guess, what with actually being able to sleep in one home for more than a day or two, and have a routine that was hardly ever deviated from. That never was for me. I can't stand having nothing to do, no way to fight off mortal danger. Just, _normalness_ seems so... insipid and irksome. Yeah, I guess Nudge's dictionary studying kind of wore off on me. But Gazzy likes that tiresome familiarity. And he _loves_ how, being 'normal', despite the fact that he's super fast and strong, has air sacs and can _fly_, he can date. I never would have thought, six years ago, while worried about the safety of the flock and being with my mom and saving the world all at once, that my little trooper would find a straight, black-haired Asian girl that adored him and didn't find his wings creepy in the least. I could relate to that feeling now. It was nice to have someone who loved me for who I am and what I stand for, not for my freakishness. Which not many people do.

Nudge cleared her throat audibly, startling me out of my daydream. Sighing, I turned toward her and grimaced as she threw Total into my arms. "Here, hold him for a second, will ya? I have to go get you that mirror." Rolling my eyes, I held him at arms' length, careful not to let any of his hairs onto my dress. He stared indignantly up at me.

"I _had_ a bath for this occasion, remember? I did it _especially_ for you! I'm not going to be treated like a.. like a _dog_ when I am so civilized and sophisticated! All the ladies think so." I groaned, and Total jumped out of my arms, into the air. I waited for him to land safely on the ground, but instead found myself looking up as he hovered near the ceiling, wings flapping furiously.

"C'mon, Total! Couldn't you just stay _grounded_ for a few more minutes? You'll scare the workers." I placed my hands defiantly in my hips.

Grumbling, he slowly came back down. "S'not my fault I'm a freak," he muttered. Sighing sadly, I inwardly agreed with him. None of us _asked_ to become genetics experiments, but hey, it's not like we actually had any choice in that. Being tiny, uncomprehending babies and all. Not even some of our _parents_ had a choice in their children being stolen; but some, like Gazzy and Angel's, willingly handed them over for a big, fat check. Isn't that what all parents do for their children once they've earned a reward? Sell them?

Nudge returned, dragging the full-length mirror. I smiled at her and walked toward her as her long, curly brown hair got tangled in the packaging tape. "Leave it to you to get your _hair_ stuck, of all things, Nudge!" Laughing, I untangled the knotted mess, thinking about how much she treasured her hair. 'It's my best feature,' she had whined one time when an unseemly amount of gum was matted in her curls. Nudge had become a beautiful high schooler, her coco skin the envy of any girl who had brains, and the reason many awkwardly tall and muscular boys would drool. When we were on the run, the only time we'd had time for makeovers or anything that would show off beauty was when we got free makeovers in New York, searching for new identities. I had realized then that Nudge had the potential to be gorgeous when she aged, if we lived, but now, with plenty of time for eyeshadow and blush and lipstick, she looked even better than I could have imagined. Still wary about the whole makeup thing myself, I had cringed unwillingly as foundation was piled on, making unseemly wrinkle lines on my forehead. However, my little makeup queen working on me was able to fix and smear the necessary colors to blend it all together. Nudge was overly excited about this event, more so than even I was, I think. She probably was glad I had finally caved and allowed her to transform my normally boring self. The 17-year-old Nudge could hardly be described as boring. Fashion sense still ever present, her unique, individual styles made even her girlfriends jealous. Her motormouth personality had ebbed a tiny bit, allowing for her boyfriend to get a few words in edgewise. My little girl, all grown up and with a bronze-haired wonder!

Smoothing out her hair, I sighed, wondering if we'd ever have moments where she was still the tiny, filthy, scared Monique we'd once known. If she'd ever need me to protect her again. Whether it be from Erasers or heartbreak, I wouldn't care which.

"Thanks, Nudge. It means a lot to me," I said cordially. She grinned.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" she cried, wrapping her arms around me carefully, so as not to crease the dress. Ironic. We did actually save the world...

Looking me over one last time, Nudge held me at arms' length. Gently, she edged me toward the mirror. I gasped. I looked stunning, if I do say so myself. The strapless dress hugged my curves, flowing from my hips to sweep the tops of my baby pink shoes. My blonde hair tumbled down in soft waves, catching the light in shimmery glares. And my wings, having grown another half foot or so, stretched 14 and a half feet across the room, the brown primary feathers blending perfectly with my black and white secondaries. They may not be as magnificent as Angel's blindingly white heavenly wings, but they still kick butt. I must admit, though, I was looking more like an angel from above with every style change. Surely, a few people would have to gasp as I walked down the rows!

Seeing my content, Nudge smiled giddily and handed me a small bouquet of pink lilies, my favorite. Grinning even wider than before, I hugged her firmly, one last time, before I walked slowly to the door of the dressing room. After she had left, my nerves came flooding back to me. I shook nervously, unable to control my feelings of unease. But I always felt that familiar cautiousness, though I hadn't been in a fight to the death for over five years. The room began to spin, and I was holding my head to stop seeing stars when Dad came and steadied me.

Yep. Jeb. Since Itex had been thoroughly destroyed, he'd decided to try to make it up to us for ruining our lives at such a young age. At first, no one had forgiven him, though it seemed like he was truly sincere. But we'd had years to work it all out, being around him because we'd lived with Mom, Dr. Martinez, so eventually, he became the father we'd had in our house overlooking a canyon back when we escaped the School for two precious years of our lives. The father we wanted to love us and always care for us.

"You okay, Max?" he asked, the room beginning to come back into focus. Putting on a brave face, I smiled the best I could and nodded. Jeb proudly took my arm in his and led me to the door. "It's time, honey," he whispered. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward into the huge room, what seemed like hundreds of smiling faces looking my way.

I walked slowly down the aisle, my white dress trailing behind me, wings carefully extended the tiniest bit. In the front row, Mom sat crying, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. I embraced her firmly before continuing to the front of the room. "I love you, Max!" she sobbed into my hair.

"I love you, too, Mom," I managed to gasp, her bear hug crushing the air out of me. Dad tugged my arm slightly, pulling me out of our embrace. My heart beating wildly, I pulled down my veil to cover my excited, nervous face. Gracefully, I climbed the altar, taking a quick glance to my left before taking my place beside my maids of honor. Nudge smiled at me reassuringly, and Angel grinned, well, angelically.

_I'm so happy for you, Max!_ she sent into my head. Her talent was very convenient for a time as quiet as this. _Thanks, Angel! I love you!_ I replied. I turned toward the priest, but not before catching Gazzy and Iggy's eyes, well, not Iggy's, but he sensed me staring. They looked dashing in their crisp black suits and ties, smiling exultantly up at me.

Then it began. I grasped my flowers tightly, staring into _his_ eyes. Though he couldn't see mine clearly through the veil, I knew he was trying. The priest calmly read his speech, but I'll spare you the details. The first part was rather boring. We exchanged vows, and I was trying to keep a steady yet calm voice as I recited them. Soon, much too soon, it felt, he was saying, "...Do you take Maximum Ride to be your lawfully wedded wife, through sickness and in health..."

He said, "I do." My heart swelled.

"And do you, Maximum Ride, take..."


	2. Chapter 2

I thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this! It's my first fanfiction and I'm trying as hard as I can to make it all worthwhile. Keep up the R&R!

**Chapter 2**

Taking another deep breath, I got ready to answer. "And do you, Maximum, take Fang to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." I could clearly tell that there were more weepers behind me, the loudest obviously being Mom. But I could barely hear them over the thudding of my own heart. The priest began to speak again.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Fang reached toward me and gently lifted my veil. Gazing into his eyes, I leaned into his kiss. His lips softly pressed against mine, his fingertips stroking my cheek, until we locked lips a little harder, to end it so our audience could be spared the agony of watching our intimacy. My wings fluttered a bit, at quite a steady pace with my heart. We pulled apart, hands twined together descending down the altar, our magnificent wings spread out behind us. Many people gasped in awe. We must have looked like the happiest angels sent from Heaven. Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge and Angel crowded around us, more people drifting toward either the food table outside or the small cluster that had started to form.

Breaking through them all, Mom came and squeezed us both with all of her might. "Oh, Max, Fang, you haven't the slightest idea how happy I am! I can't believe it! You're _married_! You'll have your own place, your own kids, I'll hardly ever see you-" She seemed shocked at this last bit, as if just realizing it for the first time.

"Don't worry, _Mom_, we'll be sure to visit as often as we can... We'll be right around the corner, anyway!" Fang laughed. I noticed he had begun to have trouble calling Dr. Martinez 'Mom'. She really wasn't _his_ mother in the first place, but she had taken care of us all like she was more than just mine. So seeing as Fang wasn't exactly blood-related, I could still marry him, though some people may have some southern marriage jokes in mind. Ugh.

"But you wouldn't want me coming around, no, of course not, and you'll both be so busy and you'll never have time to visit and then it would hamper your success in your project because you took time off and-" I cut her off with a finger to my lips. We'd heard this speech too many times to count.

"Mom, yes, we will want you to visit, but not every day," I explained for the umpteenth time, still pained by her expression- but still, who wants to see their mother every waking hour after they're married? Or even if they're not married? "And we will have some free time to relax and chill out with you, and it wouldn't be all that bad for our project if we took some time off, you know we have to eat and sleep, too." She smiled feebly, but her eyes betrayed her. Sighing, I reassuringly told her, "Don't worry about us, Mom. We survived too many fights-to-the-death and near death experiences to not be able to survive marriage." Finally, her shoulders relaxed, giving in to the losing battle.

With a look of contempt, she stepped back a bit to leave me some air to breathe, still clinging onto my hand, though. She whispered so only I could hear her, "I know you can." More people had begun to crowd around us, including my half-sister Ella. Squealing, she dived though the throng and into my arms. Grinning, I tried to laugh, but failing, as I was wrapped in a bear hug so tight all the air from my lungs left me.

"Can't- breathe- " I managed to croak.

"Oh. Sorry," Ella mumbled as she drew back from me. She leaned back to take me in up close, rather than seated in the church pews. I swear, if Nudge had been deathly ill that day and I needed another bridesmaid to scrutinize my outfit, I'd sure be in luck that Ella was around(then again, if she was on her deathbed we'd be by her side...). We had hit it off from the start, when I saved her from some arrogant jerks with guns, to say it kindly. The bas- sorry, kids present- the evil little twerps managed to clip my shoulder and a chunk of my wing with a stray bullet, 'cuz they weren't too happy about being beaten up by a 14-year-old girl. Thankfully, I found a house, that just happened to be Ella's, and her mom was a vet (very appropriate...) that saved me from God knows what infections, blood loss, death, etc. Together, we had the best few days of my life, including the best chocolate chip cookies that will ever be eaten- home-made. Ella and I had grown close instantly, like sisters. It wasn't until a while later that we learned that we really were sisters!

Of course, my flock comes first and foremost. But many people could say that lately I haven't been sticking to that rule. I looked over my shoulder at Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge and Angel. I knew they were happy for us, but I had sensed earlier that there was still some resentment going on. All six of us had lived together since the start, through everything together, even near death, and so for us now to break up the flock, just so Fang and I could be happy together, I guess that seems kinda rotten. But in my defense, they really did live right around the corner, in Maryland, which was as close to the Lerner school as possible without being in the city itself. We could see them any time of the day. But would they want to see us, if we would keep stealing looks at each other that were meant for us alone?

Looking around for where Ella had gotten off to, my gaze was returned by my dad. Smiling, he made his way toward me in the crowd. He gave Mom a pointed look, and she reluctantly let my hand go. He took her place and proceeded to attempt to start a conversation. Unlike Mom, Jeb wasn't all weepy over me, but ever since he led us to temporary freedom, he seemed to become rather attached to me, telling me that I'm the best when I was between a rock and a hard place, or completing one of Itex's idiotic "tests" to prove that my hybrid species is worth "keeping".

"I'm proud of you, Max," Dad whispered into my ear.

I gave him a small half-smile. "How many times have I heard that one?" I joked. Laughing, he moved on to Fang. Following him with my eyes, I watched my new husband casually strike a convo, as suave and somber as ever. Thinking back to when we finally made our confusing relationship serious, I smiled.

_It was three years ago... _

On my last year of home schooling. I never really liked schools with people that could be plotting my death and destruction surrounding me, with limited escape routes, and no room to stretch my wings. And at recess, I couldn't make a quick fly-by to ensure the flock's well-being. So I convinced Mom to teach me. We could even have a home equity class, where we could bake chocolate chip cookies with melt-in-your-mouth burn-your-tongue sensations.

Anyway, at 17, still trying to be as much of a protector and mother/leader figure as possible, I couldn't deny that I had fallen in love. Fang and I had been through too much to be nothing more than friends or brother and sister. Like when Ari attacked him on the beach and I thought he was dying, and I kissed him for the first time. Much to the astonishment of all of us, including yours truly. Or when I was drugged during my mini-surgery of removing the microchip in my arm and I told him I loved him 'thiiiis much'. And when I had told him I hated him and we later kissed on a dock. I knew how I felt, saying all that stupid stuff to him, but did he really love me too? He had never said anything back to me.

After three years of attempted denial, and Fang looking like the only thing on his mind was regret (of what could have been, I hoped), I decided there was no way I could keep this inside any longer. It hurt. As my mother put it so well when she first suspected that there was more than brotherly love between us, "There are other kinds of pain besides physical." Every time I saw him happy, actually laughing and as jovial as a guy like Fang could get, I felt a pang of... what do you call it... ah, remorse. I wanted to be the thing that made him look that way. I wanted to be the one to tend to him, to heal his wounds when he hurt. But I couldn't tell him that. That's just who I am. I'm not much of a touchy-feely person.

But in those three years, no one tried to kill us, no one morphed into an Eraser, no flying robots came to shoot automatics at us, and no evil power-hungry mutant plexiglass organs-in-a-box freaks tried to blow us up via pepperoni pizza. We didn't need a leader anymore. We had time to have fun, relax, and grow closer together. My question was- did we have time to love? This question was answered when the school everyone else was attending had a formal dance.

Nudge had approached me after class one day to ask advice for her first date. Peeking into my room, she called, "Can I come in?" Without turning, I replied with a grunt. She entered and I turned to face her.

"What's up?" Trying to keep casual, she sat on my bed.

"Well, I wanted your advice. I was wondering..." I frowned. She seemed a little less talkative than usual. Very unlike Nudge. And after three years of her asking my advice and Mom's advice too, she had never asked permission for opinions. What could she be up to? "Um. There's a dance this Friday at school." Pausing, she looked up at me, as if to see if I had psychically figured it out. "And this guy, he...he asked me... to go with him. Y'know, to be his...date." She shifted uncomfortably, probably thinking that I would flip out. And I did. Mentally. Nudge had a date?! Was he her boyfriend? Did she really like him? Was he using her? Were they... in love? Of course, I had to expect this. She was 14, teenage, and beautiful. Someone out there must like her. I just never thought about it before.

Finally, I decided that for her sake, I must pull myself together. But which questions to ask? I had waaay too many. Giving her a weak smile, I asked her, "Nudge, do you like him?" She blinked. I guess she was expecting more of a motherly 'oh my God you can't date you're only fourteen what were you thinking have you kissed...' etc.

"Well, I guess so. He doesn't seem to mind my wings, and my being weird, and all," she spoke slowly. _Weird. That's an understatement_, I thought. "And... I think he's cute, and he acts nice, even around his friends. I really want to look good, Max! I want to impress him and show him that I'm not entirely a freak and that I'm nice too and I-" I had started laughing. That's my real Nudge.

We talked about the proper ways to impress a normal guy for a while, and all that time, I realized that I wanted someone to feel this overexcited and try to impress _me_. Why shouldn't I have a man to tell me he loved me? Yeah, that was one of my first mushy moments. Besides my failed attempt way back when we were on the run to get the flock to share three good things about their day. Hah. They had thought I was insane. With good enough reason, knowing tough-to-the-core Maximum Ride.

It was that day I decided to admit how I felt- everything. Wow, smattering round of applause, _please_! Max finally opens her personal bubble! Moment in history, everyone! But someone else beat me to the punch.

"Hey." I was in the kitchen, working on my home-school 'homework' as Fang drifted ever so casually in. I could never pull that off.

"Hey, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. How much work do you have? If you don't have much, wouldja mind helping me with this math? It's killing me." He sat down and pulled my paper toward him. With a pencil eraser against his mouth, he looked soooo hot. It took all my self-restraint not to attack him that very moment. But I managed as he whipped through my calculus and handed the page back to me. "Wow, you never told me you were good at calc! I should hire you as my personal assistant. Just please, don't tell Mom about this, will you?" I looked pleadingly at him.

Chortling softly at my Bambi eyes, he nodded. Then, trying to regain his composure, he turned to face me. With a stern look, he said, "Only for a price." This, I was not expecting. Fang never really cared that much for retaliation before. He must have seen my puzzled look, for I saw a small smirk cross his lips. "Come with me to the dance on Friday, and my superior services are at your disposal."

My mouth must have dropped a mile. I swear I felt my bottom lip brush the floor. Though I hurriedly attempted to shut it and breathe regularly, Fang still noticed. "Not thinking of flying off agin, are you? I don't bite." He shrugged and blinked innocently. Even more to my utter shock, he rose and came to stand by me. I must have jumped up when I dropped my jaw. Can you say embarrassing? "In fact," he whispered, taking my limp hand in his, "I can prove I don't bite. Let me show you..." Taking my chin in his hand, he kissed me. Man, from a guy like Fang, you don't expect that much romance! My head swirling, I couldn't help myself. It was what I had wanted for so long, so to give in was like a dream come true. I didn't run away this time. Or wonder if it was how I really felt. I just went with it. My heart, I mean. Blood pounded in my ears, Fang's lips pressing eagerly against mine. Trying to shut out all other thoughts from my brain, which would have been screaming with questions if I had let it open up, I returned this soft, and I gotta say- seriously wet, kiss.

As Fang wrapped his arms around my waist and I threw my arms around his neck, we heard a door close in the next room. We jumped apart, as if repelled by opposite magnets. "I'm home, everybody!" Mom was coming close to the kitchen.

Fang leaned back toward me, and for a second, I thought he was going to kiss me again. Ignoring my obviously bewildered face, he whispered, "Let this be an incentive for Friday," and sat down as Dr. Martinez strode through the doorway.

"How's that homework coming, Max?" Fang stole a glance at me and cracked a huge grin.

Back in my present, I gazed at my husband adoringly as the murmur of the crowd buzzed in the May breeze. A loudspeaker began to relay the latest music from a live band under the high white tent and the packed jam of wedding attendees shuffled to the dance floor. I grasped Fang's hand and pulled him with the flow of the crowd. Everyone parted to make room for us.

Together, we swayed in the center of it all, my gown sweeping the floor, arms around his neck. Our eyes met, and I was reminded of a dance three years ago...

I had confided in Nudge to help me calm my nerves and to get us into the dance. At first, she had reacted just as I had when Fang asked me to the dance, mouth ajar, blinking rapidly. But when she got over the fact that the two people she looked to for guidance the most had decided they liked each other better than her, we got down to business- the formal dance attire of makeup, hair styling, and strapless dresses. Ugh. Dresses. The rest of the flock knew of our prep time, except for poor Gazzy. Fang told Iggy, his wingman, and Angel read our minds. I guess we all were too shocked or embarrassed to admit it out loud to Gazzy.

Sooner than I anticipated, Nudge and I arrived arm in arm at the Lerner school for gifted students, where the cafeteria was transformed into a dimly lit, over-the-top-ly decorated dance floor. We checked in with the ticket people, Nudge explaining that I was her sister and therefore had access to any events there, and swept into the room, music already pounding.

More people flounced in, brightly colored dresses popping up between black suits and ties. As the room began to fill, I became nervous. Was he actually coming?

Then I saw him.

His hair was gelled, tamed as much as was possible with such unruly, spiky hair, his tie straight, suit dashingly charming. I almost forgot where I was and who I am, for I had bigger problems at the moment- for instance, my knees turning to rubber. Nudge whispered a good luck in my ear and shoved through the tightly packed bodies toward her date. I would definitely need it.

Fang seemed as awed by my appearance as I was of his. He wiped the shock off his face faster than me, though, of course. He was always better than me at hiding emotions. I finally managed a cute half-smile and took his outstretched hand. We twirled around and around, lost in the moment, until a slow song came from the DJ's speakers. Nervously, I flattened the crease in my purple dress(ugh) and looked up at Fang expectantly. He smiled one of his rare smiles that made the world spin a little bit faster and held me close as we swayed in time to the music. I couldn't help it. And apparently, neither could he. As the song drew to a close, our lips locked and we kept swaying, swaying...

And I was brought back again to our audience applauding our dance.

Fang leaned in to me and whispered, "I love you, Maximum Ride."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks so much for your R&R, everybody! Keep it up! The romance part is mainly over, and we are onto the ACTION!

**Chapter 3**

"Hey, everyone! Get ready! One... two...three!" I threw the bouquet over my head into the small cluster of girls. Whipping around to watch the scene unfold, I caught a glimpse of someone catching the flying flowers. A few moans and screeches filled the air as Ella shook the lilies above her head in triumph. She slapped my hand in a high-five.

After many goodbyes and good lucks, Fang and I were on our way to our honeymoon on Miami Beach, in a private beach house where we could stretch our wings and fly around a bit. Together, we strode down the walkway into our limo(our very own limo!) and waved as our family and friends faded away into the horizon, until they were nothing more than specks. Now that was what every little girl imagined.

A while later, I was stretched out across one of the limo's long seats, attempting to rest as Fang watched me silently. The sun had almost gone down, and the driver announced that we were approaching our destination. I blinked calmly back at Fang, wondering what he was thinking. He caught my eye and smiled. Man, did I love that smile!

The beach house had come into view, the sun setting low across the waves. We walked hand in hand across the sugar white sand to the front porch, carrying our duffel bags. Wow, we actually had stuff to bring. Back when we were on the run, did we ever have even a pillow or supplies to carry? Hardly. Only heavy Total weighed us down. It was a huge adjustment, I assure you.

Just then I remembered that I left my veil in the limo. "Fang, hold on a sec! I'll be right back." I ran to the car, hiking my gown up over my ankles. Reaching for the handle, I frowned slightly. Wasn't the veil on my seat, right where I left it? Great. Mom paid a ton for that. I inwardly slapped myself. Since when do I care about paying for things? We used to steal money off of jerks who were stupid enough to leave their credit cards in the slot.

It wasn't on the seat. I crawled into the limo to look around a bit, when I heard a voice call from behind the lowered privacy glass. "Looking for something?" The driver's dark face grinned back at me, grasping my veil. The ominous sound of the door slamming shut and rough hands pulling a grimy rag into my mouth was the last thing I remembered. I think the last thing I managed to mutter before a sickly sweet smell filled my nostrils was, "Fang..."

A dim light shone upon the inside of my eyelids when I awoke. Groaning, I tried to turn over. My attempt was met by a cold, hard wall against my side. I tried to open my eyes, but to no avail. It hurt too much. Arms and legs were bound tightly against my body, my gag still choking me. I longed for a glass of water to soothe my parched throat. For a split second, I worried about what my wedding dress looked like. Who am I kidding? I am Maximum Ride, the fearless, tough as nails, evil-megalomaniac-fighting flying woman, who does _not_ worry about a tear in her dress. And I'd taken worse beatings before. So why did it feel like I was on the brink of death, toeing the thin line between suffering and nothing? It was probably only a few bruises after all. Summoning the last of my strength, I bent my head slowly toward my wrists to bite through the ropes.

But then, a voice. Cold, hard, cruel. I stopped struggling and lay still, hoping the person wouldn't think I was awake. "Maximum, there's no point in pretending. You're being watched by our cameras. You can't escape us." The voice chuckled. "I am more cautious now than before, so nothing you do will come as a surprise to me." He spoke slowly, full of malice. "Think about that for a while, until you can join us peacefully for a civil conversation, Maximum."

The voice fell silent. Creepy much. Wasn't he going to say something helpful? Damn. Okay, what did I know? There was more than one person, because he said 'us' and 'our'. At least one is a man. He seems like he thinks he's in charge, and that he tried to get me before. Like half the world hasn't tried. A few succeeded, but not for long. The flock always escapes. But the man said he was 'more cautious now'. Did that make a difference? Of course not. I smiled grimly to myself. I would always find a way out of everything. In Itex, when I was kidnapped and put in an isolation tank, and they wanted Max II to take my place, I pretended to be dead and bust out. When the flock was scheduled for elimination and I had to fight to the death with a supposedly super smart and strong Omega boy, I waved my hand in front of his face. But none of that would work now. They were watching me, and I had no clue who they were, where I was, or how to even find an exit! And it wasn't like I never had help before. The flock always came to my rescue, and I always came to theirs. We were a team, inseparable. Though we split at one point, we promised never to do it again. Would they come to my rescue now?

My thoughts drifted unwillingly to my husband. Missing him this much was too painful to think about. I wanted to be with him, just for him to hold me close and tell me I would be alright. Man, you'd think I was pampered all my life! Max, the fluffy poodle. Eww. Bad picture in my mind. Hey, voice, want to give me a few images to replace that one? Nope, I wasn't a poodle, I just fell in love. Now I knew how anyone else who was kidnapped felt- alone and helpless. But I felt even more so when the unspeakable happened.

Suddenly, light came pouring into my eyes, blinding me. I was swung into muscular arms, my limp body sagging, head hanging over his wrist. I could feel my gown against my legs, torn and tattered. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, my head spinning. Soon my captor turned into a small room and hit the switch. Temporarily useless, my eyes burned. With a loud thud I was dropped onto what I could only suppose was a chair. Blinking, I tried to move my stiff joints while the man was rummaging with something behind me. The room slowly came into focus. And what I saw next was what made me wish I still couldn't see.

In a tiny, white room, walls utterly blank, I sat on a hard metal chair. It was freezing, but nothing I hadn't dealt with at altitudes of thousands of feet in the air. Sitting upright, as if superior, with no emotion on his face, was _him_.

I sat rigid. What fresh hell was this? How could he have found me? Did he work with _them_? This couldn't be possible! Can't be true! But of course, my inner Voice decided to give me a little boost of energy from pissing me off._ Max,_ always _expect the unexpected._ Joy. _Decided to break your vow of silence_ now_, have you? _I thought, mentally rolling my eyes. _You are out of touch with your reckless days, Maximum. It's time for a flashback._ I sighed. It was never going to get any better, was it?

All within a short stint of time in the cold chair with him sitting across from me, the Voice spewed my memories of my life before saving the world. I saved Angel from the School again, ate chocolate chip cookies with Mom, slept in trees in New York, battled Ari and killed him, kissed Fang on the beach, battled Omega and watched my brother die, yelled at the government, and was blown in a scale five hurricane. All in a moment of my mind's eye. Blinking back into focus, I saw Sam, my first ever date, smiling grimly at my shock. Gaining my old snide self back, I sneered in his direction. It probably looked like I had a twitch in my nose.

"Ah, Maximum. We meet again." He reached across the table and held out his hand. I merely stared at it. From that moment on, I knew I was back to six years ago, fighting my way through the idiocy of the world, trying to use me to save their sorry little butts. From that moment on, I found my old spunk and clever cunning.

"Hello, Sam. Looking evil and malicious as ever, I see. Why was it we broke up again? Oh yes, you tried to turn me over to the Devil! Wonderful. Have you gotten back on pleasant terms with him since you let me escape?" _Welcome back, Max_. I twitched my mouth up in a small smile. At least someone was on my side.

Sam didn't react. It was as if he was solid stone, unmoving. What was his problem? What did he want from me? I stared back, defiant. Well, as best I could. My eyes could barely focus. He drummed his fingers quietly on the table, soon looking impatient. Hmm. Maybe this is my cue. "So, Sammy, how've you been? Find any more flying girls to screw over? Or is it just me?"

My captor chuckled softly. "Always so self-centered, Maximum." He leaned across the table toward me. I tried to grin, just to piss him off. Ouch. "I've been waiting a long time for this moment. And what a perfect day to plan it on! So sorry about that, by the way." Sam leaned forward in his chair and stared me in the eyes. I wonder if his mother knows what her darling son became. My energy slowly restoring, I rested my elbows on the table and stared back at him, reproachful. But in the back of my mind, I was scouting escape routes. My Voice had decided to be of use, and I now saw a vague layout of the building I was in. Four rooms. Door at the end of the hall. Stairs... oh, crap. There were no windows, which meant I was underground. I couldn't bust out of a window and spread my wings. I needed more information.

Breaking up our little staring contest, my eyes darted quickly to the sides, checking out my peripheral vision. Sam spoke again, as if expecting to have to say it. "There is no way out. We've put an eye scanner and fingerprint security passwords on the stairs, and filled the doorway to the parking garage with cement. You can't escape us this time." Looking satisfied, he leaned back. Confident. Mistake number one. I pretended to look discouraged and let my hair fall into my face. He turned to his hired goon. "Tom, you can leave us for the moment. Max won't be going anywhere, now will she?" The bodyguard's gaze flickered between me and Sam, and reluctantly closed the door behind him. Mistake number two. Sam shifted, giving me a full view of the room behind our table. I pushed my hair out of my eyes and slowly looked back to my captor.

"What happened, Sam? Back at school. Were you trying to help me? Or were you on the dark side then, too?"

Sam smiled. "I'd like to say I was always working for the world's most intelligent people, but I'd be lying." And that's all he said. Oh, come on! No juicy details?

"Are you with Itex? I thought they all died or were arrested or something. And why do you need me now? Why not six years ago? And-"

"Maximum," he cut me off, "now is not the time for questions." With that, he stood and walked toward the door, his back to me. I made my way toward him silently, preparing for a roundhouse kick to the spine...

Mistake number three.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the R&R everyone! There will be more chapters to come. Sorry they are so few and far between, but I have a ton of activities and homework this year, so my Fan Fiction time is very limited!

**Chapter 4 **

When I came to, I was sprawled on the floor, the bright lights dancing before my eyes. I felt like I had been set on fire, thrown off a hundred foot cliff with my wings folded, and torn into a million pieces. Whaaaat?

As my eyes slowly came back into focus, I saw the bodyguard standing over me. Seeing me awake, he dragged me up to the table again, where Sam sat, calm as ever, staring at me. Like I was a lab experiment. What else is new? "So, Sammy, what'd you do, cover yourself with another set of bodyguards? A shield of armor can only last so long, you know. And did I mention those were outdated last... millennium?"

He only stared. "Maximum, I'm not all that surprised that you are taking this like a joke. But think about this. Embedded in your neck, there is a small remote control shocker. It's much like a trained dog collar, if you ask me. When you arrived, we did a little... last minute surgery." Oh wonderful. My hand felt for the back of my neck- how come I didn't notice the stitches before? I was beginning to get the picture. I couldn't run for the stairs. I couldn't knock out the bodyguard, and I couldn't do anything out of the ordinary or I'd be unconscious before you could say 'escape'. Oh joyous day.

There was no way out. If they wanted me, they sure got me. But the question was- what were they going to do with me? Did they want my brains, my DNA, my family, just... me in general? What else could these crackpots want in this world?! People tried to use us as bidding ware, tried to use us to destroy the planet, to 'learn' about genetics. What else? There is nothing left for them to want! Or so I thought.

Sam interrupted my thoughts. "If you want to know the truth, Max, you'll get it. All in good time." Yeah right. I rolled my eyes and flicked my matted hair over my shoulders. "You don't believe me, do you," he suddenly whispered.

"Why would I trust crazy megalomaniac freaks who kidnapped me, dragged me into a tiny cement cell, and planted a shocker collar in my neck? Hey, if _you_ would, I can't attest to that. But I'm pretty sure that no, I'm not going to believe a word you losers say." Resting my elbows on the table, I blinked back at Sam, daring him to contradict me.

And lo and behold, _voila_. He waved his security out of the room, the hefty guy suspicious, flicked off the camera in the corner, and came back to meet my glare. He sighed. "Max, if you really must know, yes, you are going to die. Just like the rest of us." Oh what a help. He'd turned into the Voice's brother; I guess great(or strange) minds think alike. My situation was looking a bit more grim. "But we do need you." Sam chuckled. "Why else would we kidnap you, drag you into a tiny cement cell, and plant a shocker collar in your neck, as you so kindly put it."

He stood and began to pace in front of me. I leaned back in my chair, looking bored as heck. In case you were wondering, in that situation, no, looking bored wasn't al that difficult. "I probably shouldn't be telling you anything, Maximum, but as you have discovered, there is no way out of this for you." He ran his fingers through his hair and turned to face me.

"Everything is exactly as it seems."

Huh? He lost me there. Did that mean that he was trying to capture my family to destroy something or create a bomb or-

"We need your DNA, Max. And we're going to get it. It's up to you whether it's the easy way-or the hard way.

Stunned? Me? Naaaah. It made sense. Crazy people trying to get my DNA so they could play world domination with a flying army ten times as strong as the average army. Who wouldn't want that? Let me see. How about... most of this small, small world?

I inwardly groaned. Here we were, back to square one. I had promised myself I'd never get into one of these situations again... And look where that got me. I had also promised myself I wouldn't think about... oh God. Fang. His dark hair, warming presence, soft skin, warm lips... Shut up brain, shut up shut up shut up! I couldn't bear thinking about him... my husband... any longer. This addiction had to stop.

But apparently, Sam had other things on his mind.

His stare bore into the back of my skull as I turned away from him. But he kept on talking as if nothing had changed. "Take your pick, Maximum. Which would you like to hear about first?" The silence hung thickly in the air around us, like a blanket suffocating me in its folds. "Alright, I'll take that as the 'easy way' first. The thing is, Max, we need your DNA, both to kill and create. Let me explain this epic tale to you.

"Six years ago, I went to a school where half of the teachers were set on capturing none other than your family. The six kids with wings sticking out of their backs, the ones who feared nothing but their creators. At the time, I had no idea as to their plans. I only knew, immediately after the fact, that I had fallen in love with the girl they were trying to kidnap or kill. And they knew where she was going, what she was planning to do, and how to get her back. That's exactly what I wanted to do- get you back. So you see, at first I joined forces with Itex so I could be with you." He glanced quickly in my direction and then away, as if embarrassed to see someone witnessing this confession. "But as they trusted me, the most intelligent people on this earth, if you ask me, allowed me more information. I grew to enjoy creating new life, however strange it may be, and especially the tracking part. Their new soldier models followed me around like puppies, drooling over me." Sam seemed to gloat at this. "And then they gave me a big assignment, bigger than any other they had given anyone-besides your dim-witted friend Ari, I suppose." Where did my brother have to come into this? I wondered, hands clenched at my sides. How dare he talk about my brother that way! "The project was you, Maximum."

Ooh, drumroll _please. _Yawn, same old, same old. Been there, done that, got the souvenir crap that's ridiculously priced... next.

Sam was still pacing, back and forth, back and forth. I was getting a little lightheaded. He sighed, and for the first time showed a vulnerable side, one of tension, as he ran his fingers through his thick hair. "This isn't going to be easy for me... or you, for that matter... but I'll try to make you understand our intentions. We need your DNA, but we're looking for some fresh recruits, ones we could take from birth. And we could do that by simply drawing your blood and waving goodbye as you and your silly little husband live happily ever after. But your DNA has a mere 2 percent avian grafted DNA. And we want more than that. Wipe that smirk off your face, I know that sounds greedy. We also want to be able to raise hundreds, if not thousands, of mini-Maximums. Taking your blood sample would be less efficient to grow these super-children, as opposed to, say, growing one in a womb."

Uh oh. _This had better not be going where I think it's going..._

I stared unblinking at my captor. Please don't let it be...

"We need you and Fang to. Well. We need you to... You get it, don't you?" Exasperated, he turned his eyes back at me. "We need you and Fang to give us your baby, alright?"

Wonderful. Simply wonderful. My unborn, unnamed child would have its end coming soon. An end that was not particularly pretty or painted with rainbows. One that I had already endured for far too long before finding a way out. A life at the School.

What to do, what to do. First on my checklist: kick Sam's butt. That filthy, disgusting, inhumane little... Oh, sorry, can't go farther. Angel might be reading this... Second: get back to Fang(oh God) and tell him as much as I could without freaking out. Didn't think at the moment that could be _too_ hard. Next: find a way to escape these freaks' control. I doubted that it would be very successful, but hey, a girl's gotta try. After that, I would find a way to get the flock etc. out of harms' way. And lastly, I would live happily ever after. Yeah right. Or at least until the next band of lunatics found me again. Was there truly no rest for the weary? Or was that wicked? I could never be sure.

Either way, I was completely, utterly, entirely screwed.

As I sat there, mind racing in shock, Sam had leaned against the wall and was watching my reaction. Well, what did he expect? His eyes looked at me solemnly, almost sadly if you looked at them from a weird angle. What was HE thinking? And almost as if answering a prayer, my Voice came to help out.

_He's thinking many different things, Maximum. You seem to confuse him, no matter if he seems in control. _Well,_ I certainly won't share_ that _one with you... Ah, yes, here we are. And I quote: "She's... so beautiful... wish it were mine... But bosses' orders. None of that. God, what happened?" And now there's some detached thoughts, very dark and grim if you ask me. Oh, look, Fang's face showed up._ The Voice sent me a mental picture of him, my beloved. Oh, how it hurt. My faded memory became suddenly vivid, as if seeing him right in front of me. _Thanks, Voice, for making my torn heart ache even more than it does already. Muchas gracias._

My first thoughts, after recovering from my moment of heartbreak, were "What does he mean, wish IT were mine?" Excuse me, I am a her, not an it, thank you very much. Talk about degrading women. Then another thought... a much worse one. Oh goody. I'll skip over that one for the moment, as I'd prefer not to think about it any longer. Change of subject: when was I getting out of this hellhole?

Well, of course, as I said before, great(or strange) minds think alike. Because at that moment, Sam answered my question. "You'll leave here immediately and be given time alone, but don't think of running off somewhere. It's not going to happen. Especially not with our agents watching the house. If you choose the easy way, of course." He let a little half-smile spread across his face. Yay, the crazy lunatic gets warm little fuzzies inside when he talks about being nasty to people! Just what this world needs, I'm sure.

My feet hurt. A lot. I don't know exactly why, if I'd been sitting for all this time as he dragged out his torture speech. But they were sore. Maybe from those idiotic shoes I had to wear. I dropped them onto the table and leaned back in my chair as if to hear a relaxing bedtime story. In this case, one which includes me most likely dying... Sam glared at me in annoyance. But I get that a lot. Then he began what he considered the "hard way" of getting my DNA.

"The hard way, Maximum, is going to be hard." No duh. "If you refuse to give us your child, we implant a program into your brain that makes you _want_ to obey our wishes. Ah, so you are skeptical. Think, Max- we've created mixes of different species and new recombiant life forms and microchips that track your every move. It wouldn't be very hard to plant another chip in your brain that sent you positive thoughts. This way, you will willingly go home, greet Fang, have your child, seem like everything is all right, and then hand it over. And if Fang gets in the way... well, your chip could make you just a little angry with him. Enough to say, get rid of him." Sam smiled at this, open and wide. I could not believe I was hearing this. That little a-hole! I gave him my most obnoxious sneer.

He just kept on smiling. "That won't do you any good, Maximum. All you have is a choice: to go through this willingly and be completely aware of it, or to be knocked out and have no say in the matter whatsoever. It's up to you. What do you say?"

He stepped in front of the table so he could see my face. And I spat in it. I remember seeing his look of disgust as he wiped his fingers over his eyes, but I must have been blacked out by the shocker collar chip thingy because I don't remember anything that happened after that. But it was totally worth it.

When I could see light again, I was faced alone with my thoughts and one very big decision: Did I want to give my child to these freaks? Or could I find a way out?


End file.
